Online

Master of Science in Strategic Communication

Communicate With Impact.

As a Butler online Master’s in Strategic Communication student, you will expand your network and apply new skills in real time. This program focuses on three key pillars: teaching students to interpret research and data for effective communication, design and analyze research methods to drive informed communication strategies, and apply communication strategies across diverse media platforms. Students will gain practical experience through real-world case studies, simulations, and a comprehensive capstone project addressing organizational communication challenges.

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1 Program Details
2 Program Highlights
3 Career Opportunities
4 Admission & Tuition
5 FAQs

Program Details

Requirements

The admissions requirements for the Master’s in Strategic Communication program encompass a comprehensive evaluation of candidates’ qualifications and experiences.

Degrees

GRE/GMAT (Not Required)

Unlike many other graduate programs, Butler University does not require applicants to submit GRE, GMAT, or any other entrance exams as part of the admissions process. Instead, the university focuses on a holistic evaluation of candidates, considering their academic records, professional achievements, letters of recommendation, and personal statements. This policy ensures that individuals with various career trajectories and educational backgrounds have an equal opportunity to pursue a graduate degree at Butler, promoting a more inclusive and diverse cohort of students.

Personal Statement

Applicants for the Master’s in Strategic Communication program are required to submit a personal statement as a component of their application. This personal statement serves as a valuable opportunity for candidates to showcase their motivations, goals, and unique qualifications that make them suitable candidates for the program. Applicants are encouraged to articulate their career aspirations, their reasons for pursuing a graduate degree at Butler University, and how their past experiences and achievements have prepared them for success in the program.

Letters of Recommendation

As part of the admission requirements for the Master’s in Strategic Communication program, applicants are asked to provide two letters of recommendation. These letters play a significant role in assessing an applicant’s qualifications and potential for success in the program. Candidates should select individuals who are well-acquainted with their professional and academic abilities and who can provide insight into their character, work ethic, and potential for leadership. These letters of recommendation are a crucial aspect of the application process, as they offer valuable insights and endorsements from individuals who have observed the applicant’s capabilities firsthand, helping the admissions committee make well-informed decisions about each candidate’s suitability for the Strategic Communication program.

Transcript and Resume

To complete their application for the Master’s in Strategic Communication program, prospective candidates are required to provide official transcripts from all prior educational institutions and submit a current resume. These documents are essential components of the admissions process, as they offer valuable insights into an applicant’s academic background and professional experiences

Curriculum

Students in Butler’s Master’s in Strategic Communication program take one, seven-week course at a time.

Required

STR510 FOUNDATIONS OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION

This course introduces students to the foundational theories, strategies, and practices of strategic communication. The course is organized to expose students to the interdisciplinary theoretical literature on strategic communication, to understand and embrace the relationship between theory and practice, and to apply theoretical frameworks to strategic communication challenges.

STR527 RESEARCH METHODS: DESIGN & ANALYSIS

This course is a comprehensive examination and application of qualitative and quantitative methods and designs typically employed to plan, monitor, and assess strategic communication campaigns. The purpose of the course is to develop students’ skills to direct and develop valid and reliable research, and to analyze and apply results that lead to successful programming that addresses a variety of organizational goals.

STR540 LAW AND ETHICS IN STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION

This course will examine the dynamic legal and ethical issues facing the strategic communication field with an emphasis on central legal concepts such as First Amendment jurisprudence, commercial speech, and intellectual property. Additional concepts to be explored include defamation, privacy, indecency/obscenity, and political speech across print, broadcast, and digital media. Students will apply these concepts through a combination of discussion, activities, and case studies to current legal and ethical challenges relevant to strategic communication and explore the larger implications for mass media and society at large.

STR551 STRATEGIC VISUAL COMMUNICATION

This course will introduce students to graphic design principles and production technologies as they relate to strategic communication design. The course provides students with essential knowledge and skills for success in discriminating good design from bad, and the ability to articulate the difference. Students will also explore the most common tasks required to create and optimize media for digital and print distribution.

STR560 STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION CAPSTONE

The Capstone in Strategic Communication simulates a senior communication management context, where you will apply what you have learned throughout your graduate studies. This research-intensive course provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate specific skills and knowledge, as well as sound judgment, on route to developing an organization’s strategic communication plan.

Elective

STR570 SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY

Throughout this course students will become familiar with a range of social media tools, analyze and discuss their uses and implications for strategic communication, and develop participation literacy. Students will have the opportunity to explore both the theory and practice of social media through writing assignments, reaction papers, and a final applied research paper. This course covers topics such as social media strategy and tactics for businesses, the history of social media, privacy issues and concerns, and how to use social media in moments of organizational crisis.

STR572 CRISIS COMMUNICATION

All organizations experience crises. This course explores theories and research related to organizational communication before, during, and after a crisis. Students examine and apply the fundamentals of crisis communication and crisis management. The course will use theoretical and applied research as well as recent real-life organizational crises to see the need for audience-centered, research-based crisis communication in order to successfully navigate today’s crisis communication landscape. The goal is to prepare students to better strategize, plan, execute, and evaluate ethical and effective crisis communication across a variety of organizational and audience contexts – including students’ current or aspirational industries.

STR574 MEDIA RELATIONS

This course focuses on the techniques by which public relations practitioners influence selected publics through mass and social media. It covers theory, best practices, and especially application of principles so that students will complete the course with the ability to create a sound media relations function for their organization that is ethical, effective, and that serves to advance their organization’s goals and objectives.

STR576 BRAND STRATEGY

This course will examine branding from an audience-centric approach to understand the interplay of audiences, the marketplace, and strategic communication in the branding of new and existing products and services. A combination of discussion, activities, case studies, and readings will provide students with theoretical and applied frameworks to understand, measure, create, and manage brands over time in a highly competitive marketplace. Specific emphasis will be placed on the role of strategic communication to communicate a clear positioning statement, value proposition, and brand personality to target audiences that contributes to strong consumer-brand relationships and brand equity.

STR578 GLOBAL STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION

This course is an introduction to strategic communication in the global and cross-cultural context. Students are exposed to a wide range of topics, including: the role of culture in strategic communication, intercultural communication theories, ethics and regulatory issues, history of globalization, new media technologies, cases in international strategic communication, and strategies to communicate with diverse audiences.

STR584 HEALTH & RISK COMMUNICATION

This course addresses the theory and practice of health and risk communication. This field considers effective ways to encourage healthy behaviors and is informed by sociological and psychological variables. Specifically, we’ll examine public health campaigns across multiple contexts—crises (like a pandemic) and general well-being (exercise, nutrition, safety, mental health, cancer prevention, etc.). Risk communication is a sub-study pondering, “Why do people differently evaluate personal risk?” Risk assessments don’t always correlate with personal behavior, making health communication a challenge. This course is for anyone interested in communicating about health to diverse stakeholders, including those managing lifestyle products.

ORG562 – LEADERSHIP COMMUNICATION

Students in this course will examine leadership communication in the context of organizational change. Leadership is analyzed using the concept of citizenship with a focus on communication skills needed to help construct effective experiences for an organization, team, or community, whether in the role of doer, follower, guide, manager, or leader. Students will also evaluate organizational theory and practice that links to how early to mid-20th-century management theories have shaped current 21st-century organizations throughout change.

Accreditation

Butler University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Contact information for Higher Learning Commission:

30 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602
800-621-7440
Higher Learning Commission website

Statement of Affiliation Status

Program Highlights

The 30-credit hour online Master’s in Strategic Communication program blends communication theory, emerging trends, and best practices to help develop industry leaders, capable of thinking critically, solving problems, and adapting to this rapidly evolving field. This program is designed to help you advance within your current organization or transition into a new career path, promoting personal growth and helping you tackle new challenges.

A Future in Communications

Pave your career path in advertising, public relations, or marketing.

Hands-On Learning

Complete a comprehensive capstone experience and tackle common communication challenges that an organization is facing.

Beyond the Classroom

Merge theory and practice with real-world projects and networking opportunities.

Butler’s Master’s in Strategic Communication program was exactly everything I was looking for. The structure and scheduling that would work well with my full-time job and family, the class topics, and the flexibility were what really drew me.
Ashley M, ’24
Communications & Employment Branding Strategist
The Suter Company

Careers in Communication

Media and communication jobs are projected to grow 6% by 2031. Now is a great time to upskill and set yourself apart in the communications job market. Urban hubs like New York City, along with metropolitan areas in Texas and California, tend to employ the highest number of communication professionals. However, remote positions are more popular than ever, providing ample opportunities to advance your career from anywhere.

Marketing Managers